International transportation and storage of cargo has been revolutionized by the use of large, hexahedral-shaped metal containers suitable for stacking. Such containers are of standard dimensions and constructed to certain standards to facilitate their handling, stacking, and storage. Further, the containers are readily transported on and transferred between open ship decks, road vehicles, railway stock, storage depots, and the like.
Efficiency requires filling a standard container with cargo, preferably from a single supplier, to minimize handling costs, although container space may be shared between multiple parties. If container space is shared between multiple parties, the same container may have to be transported to, or otherwise handled by, each party using the container.
In an effort to alleviate this additional handling, “mini”-containers, smaller than the standard container, have also been devised for holding small cargo loads. To assist in transportation and/or stacking of the mini-containers, a number of the mini-containers may be locked together to form a single standard container, and then separated at a deconsolidation depot for forwarding to separate receivers.
Industry often has requirements to lift and transport containers. Many freight yards and ocean shipping docks use cranes of various types with lifting cables that attach to the corner brackets found on most containers. Methods and apparatuses for lifting and transporting containers are known and, heretofore, have been configured in different ways. Some examples of container handling systems in the prior art are seen in the following:
Dousset, U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,598, shows two end-fitted structures, called portals, which are wheeled and have hydraulic jacks. They are attached at upper and lower corners of the container. There are no longitudinal frame elements, only transverse ones. The container thus serves as a structural frame, and must be strong enough to support typically up to 15,000 pounds of cargo. There is no method or apparatus for moving and positioning the portals from the vehicle to the container, and back. This is apparently done by hand. There is no structure to quickly and safely lock the portals onto the vehicle for transport, with or without the container.
Fossing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,031, also uses two structures, but they are connected together after lifting. The two-wheeled sections, with hydraulic jacks, are attached to the longitudinal sides of the container, not the ends. Cross pieces are connected beneath the container. The attachment brackets have an H-shape.
Bury, U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,689, discloses a four-sided frame for lifting camper bodies. It is U-shaped to fit around the body and has a cross bar fitted across the open end. The jacks are mechanical, and raise the container with respect to the frame. There is no method or apparatus for moving and positioning the frame from the vehicle to the body, and back. The camper body cannot be lowered to the ground. The frame must be dismantled by hand and stored or carried on the vehicle.
Dafnis, U.S. Pat. No. 2,197,375, illustrates a wheeled lifter and transporter for railroad cars. The frame is disposed over the top of the container. Hydraulic jacks fit below projecting brackets on the car, raising the car with respect to the frame. There is no transport vehicle.
Lion, U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,879, shows a container with built-in hydraulic jacks with wheels, at each corner. The container structure serves as a frame. There is no transport vehicle.
Fulmer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,243,193, discloses an attachable running gear to be fitted to the ends of a container. It consists of a pair of brackets and wheels. The brackets are attached to the ends of the container, then connected together underneath. Hydraulic jacks raise the container.
Concha, U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,068, also discloses an attachable running gear to be fitted to the ends of a container. It consists of a pair of brackets and wheels, with hydraulic jacks.
Gross, U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,966, illustrates a liftable and transportable rack for stackable cargo. A pair of wheeled brackets with hydraulic jacks fit into the rack ends.
Riedl, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,594, displays four separate wheel and jack assemblies that are attached to the corners of the container. The jacks are rack and pinion type. The assemblies are not interconnected.
Fulmer, Concha, Riedl, and Fossing show no transport vehicle. The wheels mounted to the container form a trailer.
Rieschel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,652, discloses a hydraulic hoisting apparatus for a gantry vehicle with hydraulic motor means for propelling the vehicle and with front and rear hoisting devices. Rieschel shows no transport vehicle.
DE-29505618U discloses a self-propelled container lift truck that can be loaded onto and off a transport vehicle. The container lift truck is used to move containers from one location to another. A “transport trestle” is used to attach the container lift truck to the bed of the transport vehicle, e.g., a truck. The container lift truck and a container cannot, however, be loaded onto the bed of a transport vehicle together.
Warhurst, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,071,062 and 6,155,770, both of which disclosures are incorporated herein by reference, generally disclose a mobile carrier frame for loading and unloading a container from a truck bed.
A container transporting device of Porta Stor, Inc. of Hudson, Fla., operates essentially in the same manner as the container handling system described in Warhurst, U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,062, except that one of the transverse elements of the Porta Stor carrier frame has been moved to the opposite end, leaving one end of the frame open.
The prior art devices do not disclose a container handling apparatus that can be easily maneuvered to pick up and drop off containers from tight spaces, such as parallel parking spaces or similar tight locations. Accordingly, there exists a need for a container handling system in which a mobile carrier frame can be maneuvered into parallel parking spaces or similar tight spaces. There is also a need for such a system that can be operated via remote control.